Published:
When we received the C12 Plus, the importer had set the price at £1749; considering this included Campagnolo’s excellent Athena 11-speed groupset, Fulcrum racing 7 wheels and finishing kit from FSA, it seemed reasonably good value. At the end of our testing period though, the price had dropped to £1349.99, and that makes the C12 pretty special.
The C12 bucks the trend for tapered head-tubes with a standard 11/8in tube. The main frame tubes are oversized and ovalised, adding rigidity to the chassis, and the rear end continues the theme with a large, flat seatstay junction and sculpted, oversize chainstays all combining to create a bike with a solid feel.
While the C12 wears its sportive ambitions on its sleeve, with a tall head-tube, comfy saddle and relaxed handling, it doesn’t follow the current trend for 100mm stems, fitted to shorten the reach and give a more upright, distance-friendly position. The Battaglin’s 130mm stem on our large bike gives a more stretched position without being too extreme.
The relaxed handling, longer position and smooth rolling Vittoria tyres make for a bike you can use to pile on the miles. It’s not particularly sharp or quick to accelerate, and though it doesn’t handle rougher road surfaces that well, the slower reaction to steering input and its long position mean this never evolves from discomfort to drama. Vibration through the bar is pretty minimal, helped by the longer stem taking most of the input, and though the rear end does transmit plenty, it’s nulled by the deeply padded Selle Italia saddle.
The 11-speed drivetrain with compact 50/34 up front and 12-25 out back gives an ample spread of gears for most gradients. Campagnolo Athena also shows a big jump in quality and performance from equivalently priced bikes. Compared to Shimano it’s the equal of Ultegra. While the Battaglin isn’t the most refined of bikes, it still represents great value for money. The frame is nicely put together and plenty light, and at its current price the C12 offers a class-leading spec, making it hard to ignore.
Latest deals
Product Specifications
Product
| Name | Name, 0, 10, Name, C12 plus (11) |
| Brand | Brand, 0, 20, Brand, Battaglin |
| Available Sizes | Available Sizes, 2, 0, Available Sizes, M L XL L M S S S S S S M L XL XL S M L XL S M L XL |
| Bottom Bracket | Bottom Bracket, 2, 0, Bottom Bracket, Campagnolo Athena external alloy cups, sealed cartridges |
| Brakes | Brakes, 2, 0, Brakes, Campagnolo Veloce forged alloy dual pivot |
| Cassette | Cassette, 2, 0, Cassette, Campagnolo Athena 12-25 11spd |
| Chain | Chain, 2, 0, Chain, Campagnolo 11spd |
| Cranks | Cranks, 2, 0, Cranks, Campagnolo Athena Power-Torque forged alloy compact, 172.5mm arms |
| Fork | Fork, 2, 0, Fork, Carbon blades, 11/8in steerer |
| Fork Weight | Fork Weight, 2, 0, Fork Weight, 515 |
| Frame Material | Frame Material, 2, 0, Frame Material, Carbon monocoque, forged alloy dropouts |
| Frame Weight | Frame Weight, 2, 0, Frame Weight, 1130 |
| Front Derailleur | Front Derailleur, 2, 0, Front Derailleur, Campagnolo Athena 34.9mm clamp-on front |
| Front Wheel Weight | Front Wheel Weight, 2, 0, Front Wheel Weight, 1305 |
| Handlebar | Handlebar, 2, 0, Handlebar, FSA Gossamer alloy, anatomic standard drop, 42 cm c-c |
| Head Angle | Head Angle, 2, 0, Head Angle, 72 |
| Headset Type | Headset Type, 2, 0, Headset Type, Integrated 11/8in sealed cartridges aheadset |
| Rear Derailleur | Rear Derailleur, 2, 0, Rear Derailleur, Campagnolo Athena forged alloy short cage |
| Rear Wheel Weight | Rear Wheel Weight, 2, 0, Rear Wheel Weight, 1765 |
| Rims | Rims, 2, 0, Rims, Fulcrum Racing 7, 20 spokes radial front, 24 2-cross/radial rear |
| Saddle | Saddle, 2, 0, Saddle, Selle Italia Q-Bik padded vinyl, steel rails |
| Seat Angle | Seat Angle, 2, 0, Seat Angle, 72.5 |
| Seatpost | Seatpost, 2, 0, Seatpost, FSA SL-250 alloy, 31.6x350mm, twin-bolt clamp |
| Shifters | Shifters, 2, 0, Shifters, Campagnolo Athena Ergo QS 11spd |
| Stem | Stem, 2, 0, Stem, FSA OS-150 forged alloy 11cm, 11/8in x oversized |
| Weight (kg) | Weight (kg), 2, 0, Weight (kg), 8.33 |
| Weight (lb) | Weight (lb), 2, 0, Weight (lb), 18.4 |
| Bottom Bracket Height (cm) | Bottom Bracket Height (cm), 2, 0, Bottom Bracket Height (cm), 26.5 |
| Chainstays (cm) | Chainstays (cm), 2, 0, Chainstays (cm), 41 |
| Seat Tube (cm) | Seat Tube (cm), 2, 0, Seat Tube (cm), 51 |
| Standover Height (cm) | Standover Height (cm), 2, 0, Standover Height (cm), 81 |
| Top Tube (cm) | Top Tube (cm), 2, 0, Top Tube (cm), 57.5 |
| Wheelbase (cm) | Wheelbase (cm), 2, 0, Wheelbase (cm), 101.5 |
Authors
Warren Rossiter is BikeRadar and Cycling Plus magazine’s senior technical editor for road and gravel. Having been testing bikes for more than 20 years, Warren has an encyclopedic knowledge of road cycling and has been the mastermind behind our Road Bike of the Year test for more than a decade. He’s also a regular presenter on the BikeRadar Podcast and on BikeRadar’s YouTube channel. In his time as a cycling journalist, Warren has written for Mountain Biking UK, What Mountain Bike, Urban Cyclist, Procycling, Cyclingnews, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike and T3. Over the years, Warren has written about thousands of bikes and tested more than 2,500 – from budget road bikes to five-figure superbikes. He has covered all the major innovations in cycling this century, and reported from launches, trade shows and industry events in Europe, Asia, Australia, North American and Africa. While Warren loves fast road bikes and the latest gravel bikes, he also believes electric bikes are the future of transport. You’ll regularly find him commuting on an ebike and he longs for the day when everyone else follows suit. You will find snaps of Warren’s daily rides on the Instagram account of our sister publication, Cycling Plus (@cyclingplus).
